Memories o Sempai
by Artemis Silvermoon
Summary: Makoto Kino/Sailor Jupiter learns to let go of the pain of losing her beloved sempai...


Memories of Sempai (A sailor Jupiter/Kino Makoto Fanfiction) By: Artemis Silvermoon  
  
Konnichiwa, Minna-San! This is my first fic about Kino Makoto/Sailor Jupiter, and I hope to write many more in the future. This story is a melancholy reflection of Makoto's where she thinks back on her time with her beloved Sempai before their breakup, and of how she misses him and finds a way to go on without him. This story strikes a very personal and familiar chord with me, as I have also suffered unrequited love, so pardon me if the story gets a bit...sentimental... Well, aside from stating the obvious (I don't own SailorMoon, SailorJupiter, or any of the characters in the SailorMoon Universe, They are all property of Naoko Takeuchi, Toei Animation, Kodansha Comics, and DIC), I leave you to the story, and I hope you enjoy it. Flames and praise alike can be sent to me at: gothgrrl88@yahoo.com. Well, that's all, have fun and enjoy! Ja ne! ~ Artemis Silvermoon  
  
  
  
It was December in Tokyo, and outside the world was buried in pure white snow. Signs of the coming holidays were everywhere in the busy city, and the excitement and happiness was contagious, the joy and warmth of the season filling everyone's hearts. But joy was not to be found in the heart of one person. Instead of the jubilance of the Christmas Season, pain, and loss filled the heart of a chestnut-haired girl, pain and the memories of a lost and unrequited love... Makoto Kino looked longingly out the window of her apartment, barely noticing the crystal white flakes of snow as they fell silently upon the Earth. Instead her gaze, as well as her thoughts, were focused on a photo album which she held in her hands, open to a particular page. Staring back at her was the image of herself, smiling, with her arm intertwined in that of another, a tall, handsome, dark-haired young man, a face that she knew all too well. A face that filled her heart with pain at the sight of it. Her Sempai. With hurt, Makoto recalled the fun that she and her sempai had had together. She recalled how they went shopping for one another around Christmas, each one looking into the widows of festively decorated stores, secretly planning upon what they would give each other this year. then came the memory of she and her Sempai decorating a large evergreen tree with the shining red, green, and white lights and glimmering baubles, lastly finishing the job by her Sempai gently lifting her up in his strong arms so that Makoto could place a shimmering gold star upon the highest bough. Another memory now, of Makoto and her Sempai, unwrapping presents Christmas morning, overjoyed at the sight of the gifts each had gotten for the other.  
  
Her Sempai had then pulled her to the doorway, over which hung mistletoe. He pointed upwards to it. Makoto gazed up, and when she lowered her face again, his lips met hers in a passionate kiss.... Tears wet Makoto's eyes. They had been such good times. She earnestly wished that they never had ended. But they had, and Makoto recalled just how they had come to a crashing halt, her love, her romance, a relationship most girls would have died to have, had come to such an unhappy end... It was a rainy day in January, the waters pouring from above wetting the snow, dissolving it. Makoto saw such symbolism in this...the rain were her tears crying, and the snow dissolving, just like her relationship with her dearest Sempai.. He had stopped talking to her in school, stopped returning her calls, and she had finally been able to get him to agree to tell her what was wrong when her friend Shinozaki cornered him and forced him to confront Makoto. They had both met in Arisugawa Park, taking shelter in a nearby gazebo, dry against the torrential rain. Her Sempai turned his back to her, afraid to meet her emerald gaze, a gaze watery from the tears Makoto barely held in check as she asked "Sempai, what's wrong?" Makoto would never forget what she heard in reply. Those words stung deeply, and had forever after left a mark on her, causing her to doubt her femininity itself. "Makoto, this isn't working out between us." "Sempai? Why? What do you mean? We've been so close...Is it another girl? I can accept that, just tell me why..." "Makoto, it isn't another girl. It's YOU. You...just aren't my type. You're too aggressive, to boyish...tall girls aren't my type...I just dated you because i thought it'd work. But it didn't. I was wrong. It's over." Tears freely coursed down her face now. "I can't help that I'm tall, Sempai, it's how I am! And my boyishness...I can change! I can become what you want me to be, please, PLEASE!" "No, Makoto," was the harsh reply. "You can't change. You and I, we both know it. Makoto, it's over...now and forever!" With what seemed like true agitation, her Sempai stepped out of the gazebo, opened his umbrella, and began walking away from her at an exaggarated pace. Tears nearly blocking her vision, the heartbroken girl raced after him, but could not catch up. "Please, sempai, PLEASE! WAIT!" Makoto fell, having slipped in a mud puddle, and her Sempai never even bothered to look back. She curled up in a fetal position, wet and dirty, and sobbed. Never had she sobbed this much, excepting when her parents had died. She knew that like then, she was alone once more. "Mako-Chan!" Makoto loked up to see Shinozaki racing torwards her, umbrella opened, sheilding him from the rain. He knelt down and placed a comforting arm around her. "Mako-Chan, I saw what he did to you. That BASTARD! Tommoro at school, I'll give him a piece of my mind!" He clenched a fist and raised it high into the empty air, shaking it menacingly. Makoto gently pushed it down and looked up at him, eyes red-rimmed. "No, Shino-Kun, please. Don't. It'll only make things worse." "Mako-Chan, look what he did to you! How can you let him get away with that? You're a fighter! Why would you run away instead of fight now?" Makoto stared blankly ahead of her, in the direction in which her Sempai had left in. "Because, Shino-Kun, because I love him." "Oh, Mako-Chan," Shinozaki hugged her gently, then helped her to her feet. Her wrapped an arm around her and, under the protection of the umbrella, he led her back to her apartment. Makoto cleaned up, dried off, and came out and served some Rose tea. After an uneasy quiet had settled over them, Makoto forced a smile as she gazed at her friend. "Shino-Kun," she began, "I may not have him any more, but I still have you..." A tear spilled down her cheek. Shinozaki sensed her hurt and saw the sadness in the depths of her verdant eyes. "Mako-Chan, will you be alright?" Makoto nodded. "Hai, Shino-Chan. I'll be alright...after all, I have my Rainy-Day-Man to stand by me. Arigatou, Shino-Chan, arigatou." And she leaned her head on her best friend's shoulder; He placed a protective arm around her and ran his fingers through her hair, as Makoto closed her eyes and fell asleep... Mako broke from her sad meloncholy reverie. She stared at the picture album. "I have so many sad memories," she said to herself, "but I have to let go...or I'll be miserable forever..." She sighed, agony in her heart. Slowly Mako took the picture out from the plastic covering of the album, and opened the window. Clutching to the picture in deseration, she let it go as a winter breeze blew in from the open window, carrying the photo on it's invisible wings. Makoto watched, teary-eyed as the photo floated farther and farther away from her grasp. As soon as the picture was out of sight, makoto felt as if a weight had been lifted from, her and that her heart felt a tiny bit lighter. Putting on a coat, mako went to her balcony and closed her eyes as the same brezze caressed her pale face. As she listened to the bustle of the city below her, she felt a new strength grow within her. Opening her eyes, she placed one hand over her heart and the other she outstretched over the balcony railing, grasping the air. Tears coursed down her cheeks still, but a small, peaceful smile curved her rosy lips. Sighing deeply she said to herself "Perhaps now I can move on. Perhaps now...I am healed...."  
  
  
  
THE END 


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